Epiphany
by Sal85
Summary: Betty runs into Gio at the Mode office. It's their first meeting since his return from Italy and Betty is in for a shock... BxG


Hello everyone! Here is my very first, and quite possibly last fanfic ever. Please read it and review with your honest opinion about it, I want to know what you liked and don't hold back from telling me what you disliked! I _crave_ accurate feedback!

It's based on the show Ugly Betty and none of the characters below are my creation, the story is loosely based on the promo for the episode 3.04, Betty Suarez Land.

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CHAPTER ONE

Betty stood stone still in the midst of the buzzing activity of the Mode office. She was oblivious to all around her, except for one man who drew her full attention. She watched his retreating back, in shock and disbelief at what had just transpired between them.

"I hate you."

Gio's words reverberated through her mind over and over again. Sharp and painful words which shook her to the core and caused roiling emotions within her. She felt panic, confusion but most strongly, she felt like she had just lost something so dear and precious to her. Just then, her eyes began to fill with tears and her chest heaved with emotion while she watched through blurred vision as Gio turned and backed his cart into the elevator. He kept his face downcast as the silver metal doors closed, concealing him from her view and suddenly bringing Betty's attention back to her surroundings.

She cast a quick look around but no one had noticed her standing in stunned silenced as tears rolled down her cheeks. She awkwardly wiped her eyes as she walked hurriedly back to her desk where she could sit and attempt to make sense of what had just happened. Placing her arms on her desk she bent her head onto her arms letting her hair curtain around her face and tried to still her racing thoughts.

When she had turned the corner and come face to face with Gio she had felt such a sudden rush of elation that she didn't think twice about enveloping him in a welcome back hug, he had felt so solid and warm in her arms. Her friend was back.

"What are you doing?", he said coldly as his body stiffened with tension. His low voice rumbled against her chest and she realised he wasn't hugging her in return.

She pulled back to look at his face and was shocked by what she saw there. He shrugged her arms off him and regarded her with a face devoid of expression.

"I was just…welcome back, Gio.", she said brightly, then stepped away from him uncertainly.

"You don't get it do you, Betty? I don't want anything to do with you."

Remembering his words, fresh tears squeezed out from between her lashes and she groaned in agony.

Why was she feeling this way? She felt like her world had shifted, like the earth had suddenly moved beneath her feet and nothing was as it should be. Gio was so mean, he had never spoken to her that way before. Sure, they had always argued and teased each other, but that was just their thing! He would make annoying comments with a smile on his lips and his eyes twinkling merrily. Betty smiled sadly at the memory of him.

Today he had seemed vastly different. She remembered looking into his flat uncaring eyes, and how she had felt the sudden urge to shake him. Where was her warm, caring friend? Where was the guy she could always confide in? The one who showed her that it was OK to just be herself, that it was OK to dream but to also live each day in the reality they had and enjoy it for the blessing it was. Today he had shown her a cold and distant Gio. She had wanted to yell at him in desperation to bring back the Gio she loved.

The Gio she loved…

She lifted her head off her arms and sat up straight. Her eyes were wide with surprise, then she closed them and leaned back into her chair as calmness and relief overcame her. Like the oceans waves washing up onto the shore leaving it smooth and clear.

"I love Gio", she whispered to herself in wonder and for the first time, she allowed the realisation to seep into her soul.

The confusing maelstrom of emotions settled and she finally knew who she was, she knew what she wanted and she knew where she wanted to be.

And she knew what she had to do! With a flashing smile she tore open her desk drawer and reached for the Gio's Deli napkin which had a permanent home among her possessions there. She paused to smile adoringly at the cute pickle logo and it seemed to wink at her encouragingly. Excitedly she grabbed up her phone and rapidly dialled the number advertised on the napkin then drumming her fingers nervously on the desk top, she waited to place her order.

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No one but Daniel paid attention to the short, unimpressively dressed woman with the red glasses who raced through the cool, black and white office. His head jerked up as a blur of mismatched colour ran past him, which could only be Betty, with her dark brown hair streaming out behind her and her Blythe doll handbag swinging over one arm.

"Betty!", Daniel called to stop her before she disappeared through the doorway.

She skidded to a halt and spun around, her hair whipping about her head as she did so. He was sitting casually on the edge of the conference table where he had been reviewing the work of a colleague. Laughing, Daniel said, "Where's the fire?"

"Oh…Daniel…I…I need to…I have to…", Betty stammered and played with a lock of hair nervously with one hand and gesturing with the other. Daniel frowned in concern, she looked distracted and seemed to have a strange intensity about her.

"Betty, are you alright? Did something happen?", he asked. Daniel got up and walked over to stand in front of her.

"Yes! Something did happen, Daniel! And I….", she stopped and he saw that her eyes flitted momentarily to the colleague waiting impatiently behind him. He turned and addressed him, "Paul, why don't you leave that here with me? I'll finish looking over it and get back to you with a few suggestions" He grinned winningly and gave Paul a thumbs up. The other man stood up and left but not before casting an apprehensive glance at Daniel's post-it-notes.

Once they were alone Daniel looked at Betty questioningly and she launched into her explanation.

"It's Gio. Remember Gio? Pickle napkin Gio? Well, he's back from his trip to Italy and I just saw him here. I mean, I was so happy to see him. But he wasn't happy to see me. I mean, he was really…Daniel, he was so…he said he…I felt so bad! But it doesn't matter! I know what to do now!!", she said all at once with her hands flapping wildly.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa…slow down!", Daniel said placing his hands on her shoulders to get her attention and looked down into her distracted eyes. When Betty finally made eye contact with him he said slowly, "Now, from the beginning, what happened?"

Betty sighed and started over, "Daniel, I saw Gio today for the first time since he left for his trip to Italy. He said some pretty horrible things to me and I was just on my way to let him know how I really feel about-"

Alarmed, Daniel cut her off, "OH NO! Not another letter, Betty!! Give the guy a break, if you just gave him a chance I think you'd see that he really-"

It was Betty's turn to interrupt, "No, wait-"

Daniel crossed his arms over his chest and cut her off again, "You can't go anywhere right now. I need you here. We've got too much work to get through!!". He regarded her stubbornly, determined to avoid causing that poor guy additional grief. One broken window and a broken heart was more than enough.

"But, Daniel!! I need to see- ", Betty began.

"NO, Betty!! You have to listen to me, I didn't say anything before but I'm _not_ going to stand by and do nothing this time!! As your friend, I think it's my responsibility! You have to know something about Gio, I know you really don't like him very much but-

"What?! Daniel! _I love him!!_", Betty yelled in anguish.

The words hung there between them. Daniel uncrossed his arms and just stared with his mouth open. As he watched she flushed red with embarrassment and looked away from him and then down at her feet.

He raised his eyebrows as realisation sunk in. "Oh….ohhhh…I see", he said clearing his throat, "well, this changes everything…you can have the rest of the day off if you like….Oh hell, take the whole week off!" He couldn't suppress a smile. He had known Gio was madly in love with Betty for a while now, it was especially plain and obvious for all to see on the day his mother had been exonerated all because of this amazing woman who now stood before him shifting from foot to foot uncomfortably. That day he had seen Gio gaze at Betty with the most loving expression on his face. Daniel wondered if he had looked that way when he thought Sophia Reyes was the one. Shaking his head to bring his mind back to the present, he re-crossed his arms and looked down at Betty with a huge smile on his face.

"I knew it", he said.

Betty's head snapped up, "knew what?!"

He punched the air in victory, "I knew you'd come around Betty!"

Betty puffed out a breath and put her hands on her hips, she looked calmer than when he had stopped her a moment ago but Daniel could see shadows of worry in her eyes.

"It's going to be Ok", he told her reassuringly.

Later, after a rare reversal of roles, Daniel finished his motivational pep talk and sent Betty on her way to patch things up with the sandwich guy.

"I'm getting pretty good at this", he said to himself and he smiled happily, his blue eyes shining with satisfaction. If there were two people who belonged together, it was Betty and Gio.

Daniel chuckled to himself as he strolled back to his office. They were like two halves of a sandwich.

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End file.
